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Mikas 7

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1 Sa aba ko! sapagka't ako'y gaya ng kanilang pisanin ang mga bunga sa taginit, gaya ng mga pamumulot ng ubas sa ubasan: walang kumpol na makain; ako'y nananabik sa unang bunga ng igos.

2 Ang mabuting tao ay namatay sa lupa, at wala nang matuwid sa mga tao: silang lahat ay nagsisibakay upang magbubo ng dugo; hinuhuli ng bawa't isa ang kaniyang kapatid sa pamamagitan ng silo.

3 Ang kanilang mga kamay ay nangasa kasamaan upang sikaping isagawa; ang prinsipe ay humihingi, at ang hukom ay maagap sa suhol; at ang dakilang tao ay nangagsasalita ng masamang hangad ng kaniyang kaluluwa: ganito nila nilalala.

4 Ang pinakamahusay sa kanila ay parang dawag; ang pinakamatuwid ay masama kay sa isang bakod na tinikan: ang araw ng inihula sa iyo ng mga bantay, sa makatuwid baga'y ang araw ng pagdalaw sa iyo, ay dumating; ngayo'y mangatitigilan sila.

5 Huwag kayong magsitiwala sa kalapit bahay; huwag kayong magkatiwala sa kaibigan; ingatan mo ang mga pinto ng inyong bibig sa kaniya na humihiga sa inyong sinapupunan.

6 Sapagka't sinisiraang puri ng anak na lalake ang ama, ang anak na babae ay tumitindig laban sa kaniyang ina, ang manugang na babae ay laban sa kaniyang biyanang babae; ang mga kaaway ng tao ay ang kaniyang sariling kasangbahay.

7 Nguni't sa ganang akin, ako'y titingin sa Panginoon; ako'y maghihintay sa Dios ng aking kaligtasan: didinggin ako ng aking Dios.

8 Huwag kang magalak laban sa akin, Oh aking kaaway: pagka ako'y nabuwal, ako'y babangon; pagka ako'y naupo sa kadiliman, ang Panginoo'y magiging ilaw sa akin.

9 Aking babatahin ang kagalitan ng Panginoon, sapagka't ako'y nagkasala laban sa kaniya, hanggang sa kaniyang ipagsanggalang ang aking usap, at lapatan ako ng kahatulan: kaniyang ilalabas ako sa liwanag, at aking mamasdan ang kaniyang katuwiran.

10 Kung magkagayo'y makikita ng aking kaaway, at kahihiyan ang tatakip sa kaniya, na nagsabi sa akin, Saan nandoon ang Panginoon mong Dios? Makikita ng aking mga mata ang nais ko sa kaniya; siya nga'y yayapakan na parang putik sa mga lansangan.

11 Kaarawan ng pagtatayo ng iyong mga kuta! sa kaarawang yaon ay malalayo ang pasiya.

12 Sa kaarawang yaon ay magsisiparoon sila sa iyo mula sa Asiria at sa mga bayan ng Egipto, at mula sa Egipto hanggang sa ilog, at mula sa dagat at dagat, at sa bundok at bundok.

13 Gayon ma'y masisira ang lupain dahil sa kanila na nagsisitahan doon, dahil sa bunga ng kanilang mga gawa.

14 Pakanin mo ang iyong bayan sa pamamagitan ng iyong tungkod, ang kawan na iyong mana, na tumatahang magisa, sa gubat sa gitna ng Carmelo: pakanin mo sila sa Basan at sa Galaad, gaya ng mga araw nang una.

15 Gaya ng mga araw ng iyong paglabas sa lupain ng Egipto ay aking pagpapakitaan sila ng mga kagilagilalas na bagay.

16 Makikita ng mga bansa, at mangapapahiya sa buo nilang kapangyarihan; kanilang ilalagay ang kanilang kamay sa kanilang bibig, ang kanilang mga pakinig ay mabibingi.

17 Sila'y magsisihimod sa alabok na parang ahas; parang nagsisiusad na hayop sa lupa sila'y magsisilabas na nagsisipanginig mula sa kanilang mga kulungan; sila'y magsisilapit na may takot sa Panginoon nating Dios, at mangatatakot dahil sa iyo.

18 Sino ang Dios na gaya mo, na nagpapatawad ng kasamaan, at pinalalagpas ang pagsalansang ng nalabi sa kaniyang mana? hindi niya pinipigil ang kaniyang galit ng magpakailan man, sapagka't siya'y nalulugod sa kagandahang-loob.

19 Siya'y muling magtataglay ng habag sa atin; kaniyang yayapakan ang ating kasamaan: at kaniyang ihahagis ang lahat nilang kasalanan sa mga kalaliman ng dagat.

20 Iyong isasagawa ang katotohanan kay Jacob, at ang kagandahang-loob kay Abraham, na iyong isinumpa sa aming mga magulang mula sa mga araw nang una.

   

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Exploring the Meaning of Micah 7

Napsal(a) New Christian Bible Study Staff

In this last chapter of his book, in Micah 7:1-4, the prophet is discouraged about the evil that he sees in the land. The cluster (of grapes ) that he doesn’t see means that there is no love of the neighbor there. 1 The firstfruits that his soul longs for mean the upright kind of ordinary life 2 , which he can’t find: “the faithful man has perished from the earth”.

The net in verse 2 is the twisting of truth into falsity and the other way round, to deceive. Those who should be faithful leaders are diving into evil, and take bribes. All this hellish behavior will in the end lead to punishment.

In Micah 7:5, 6, these two verses are really not talking about other people; friends, companions, wives or husbands, or in-laws. When Micah refers to a “man’s household” he is talking about the evil loves that live in our own will. That’s where the evil is that we must fear and stamp out. 3

Micah 7:7-9 shows the path away from evil. God will hear us. But we must see that we have sinned and admit it to the Lord 4 , and ask for His help in stopping. He will be a light in our “darkness”. Micah admits his own weakness and admits that only the Lord’s power can "bring him forth to the light".

In Micah 7:10, "She" represents the affection for doing some kind of evil. Everyone has some sort of affections that way. 5 Those affections will try to persuade us that Jehovah can’t help, but if we persist in calling on Him for help, those affections can be shamed and eventually be trampled into the mud.

Micah 7:11, 12 says that when the Lord comes to found a new church, it will spread. Assyria here means reasoning, and Egypt means natural science. Cities mean doctrine from truth, and mountains mean goods, so the picture is of the spreading of both truth and good from one boundary to the other, all the way from natural truths to reasoning about spiritual things -- our whole mind. 6

But the old church will be desolate, according to Micah 7:13.

In Micah 7:14,15, to pasture means to feed the flock as a shepherd 7 , or to teach the truths that the Lord provides. The forest means the church as to truth, and Carmel means the church as to good. 8 Bashan and Gilead mean the same ideas from the stories of the Word, the literal sense.

Nations, in Micah 7:16, 17, mean people outside who don’t know, and don’t want to hear. They will stay focused on physical and sensory things, and will be in dread about knowledge of God.

Then, in Micah 7:18-20, Micah ends on a positive note: God will continue to have compassion on everyone and try to bring them to walk in His ways. Although we are all in freedom to be evil, He will never stop trying to lead us out of it if we will listen.

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Ze Swedenborgových děl

 

Arcana Coelestia # 5117

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5117. 'And its clusters ripened into grapes' means spiritual truth when joined to celestial good. This is clear from the meaning of 'ripening' as the advancement of rebirth or regeneration even to the point where truth is joined to good, and so the two are joined together; and from the meaning of 'clusters' as the truth of spiritual good, and 'grapes' as the good of celestial truth; in this instance both of these as they exist within the sensory awareness represented by 'the cupbearer' is meant. The joining together of them within that sensory awareness may be likened to the ripening of clusters into grapes, for in rebirth or regeneration every truth aims to become joined to good. At first truth is unreceptive of life and is not therefore fruitful. This stage is represented in the fruits of trees while they are ripening. In unripe fruit, called 'clusters' here, that state when truth is still predominant is represented, whereas in ripe fruit, called 'grapes' here, the state when good has predominance is represented. This predominance of good is also represented in the flavour and the sweetness that one finds in ripe grapes. But regarding the joining together of truth and good within the sensory awareness subject to the understanding part, nothing more can be said as these are arcana too deep for anyone to understand. First of all one needs to have a thorough knowledge of the state of the celestial-spiritual and of sensory awareness, and also of the state of the natural in which that joining together of truth and good takes place.

[2] 'Grapes' means the good of the spiritual man, and so means charity. This may be seen from many places in the Word, as in Isaiah,

My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. 1 He looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. Isaiah 5:1-2, 4.

'A vineyard' stands for the spiritual Church; 'he looked for it to yield grapes' for the good deeds of charity; 'but it yielded wild grapes' for the bad deeds of hatred and revenge.

[3] In the same prophet,

Thus said Jehovah, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one says, Do not destroy it, for there is a blessing in it. Isaiah 65:8.

'The new wine in the cluster' stands for truth obtained from good within the natural.

[4] In Jeremiah,

I will surely gather them, says Jehovah; there will be no grapes on the vine, and no figs on the fig tree. Jeremiah 8:13.

'No grapes on the vine' stands for the non-existence of any interior or rational good, 'no figs on the fig tree' for the non-existence of any exterior or natural good; for 'the vine' means the understanding part, as shown just above in 5113. When truth and good exist joined together there, 'the vine' means the rational, for the rational exists as a result of that joining together. As regards 'the fig' meaning the good of the natural or exterior man, see 217.

[5] In Hosea,

Like grapes in the wilderness I found Israel, like the first fruit on the fig tree, in its beginning, I saw your fathers. Hosea 9:10.

'Grapes in the wilderness' stands for rational good not yet made spiritual; 'the first fruit on the fig tree' in a similar way for natural good. 'Israel' stands for the ancient spiritual Church when it first began, 'fathers' here and elsewhere being not the sons of Jacob but those people among whom the Ancient Church was first established.

[6] In Micah,

There was no cluster to eat; my soul desired the first fruit. The holy man has perished from the earth, and there is none upright among men. Micah 7:1-2.

'Cluster to eat' stands for the good of charity in its first beginnings, 'the first fruit' for the truth of faith at the same stage also.

[7] In Amos,

Behold, the days are coming, so that the ploughman catches up with the reaper, and the treader of grapes with him who sows seed. The mountains will drip new wine, and all the hills will flow down with it. And I will bring again the captivity of My people, in order that they may build the devastated cities, and may settle down and plant vineyards, and may drink their wine, and make gardens and eat their fruit. Amos 9:13-14.

This refers to the establishment of the spiritual Church, which is described in this manner. The joining of spiritual good to its truth is foretold by the statement that the ploughman will catch up with the reaper, and the joining of spiritual truth to its good by the statement that the treader of grapes will catch up with the one who sows seed. The good deeds of love and charity resulting from that joining together are meant by the statement that the mountains will drip new wine and the hills will flow down with it. 'Bringing again the captivity of the people stands for deliverance from falsities, 'building the devastated cities' for the correction of falsified teachings regarding the truth, 'settling down and planting vineyards' for a development of what constitutes the spiritual Church, 'drinking their wine' for making the truths of that Church one's own, which truths teach about charity, and 'making gardens and eating their fruit' for making one's own the forms of good derived from these. Anyone can see that building cities, planting vineyards, drinking wine, making gardens and eating their fruit are descriptions of merely natural activities, which but for the spiritual sense would hold nothing Divine within them.

[8] In Moses,

He washes his clothing in wine, and his garment in the blood of grapes. Genesis 49:11.

This refers to the Lord. 'Wine' stands for spiritual good originating in Divine love, 'the blood of grapes' for celestial good originating in the same.

[9] In the same author,

Butter from the herd, and milk from the flock, with the fat of lambs and of rams, the breed 2 of Bashan, and of goats, with kidney-fat of wheat; and of the blood of the grape you drink unmixed wine. Deuteronomy 32:14.

This refers to the Ancient Church whose good deeds of love and charity are described in this manner. Each particular product referred to means some specific kind of good. 'The blood of the grape' means spiritual-celestial good, the expression used for the Divine in heaven, coming forth from the Lord. Wine is also called 'the blood' of grapes because wine and blood mean holy truth coming forth from the Lord, though 'wine' is used in reference to the spiritual Church and 'blood' to the celestial Church. For the same reason wine has also been prescribed in the Holy Supper.

[10] In the same author,

From the vine of Sodom comes their vine, and from the fields of Gomorrah; its grapes are grapes of poison, they have clusters of bitterness. Deuteronomy 32:32.

This refers to the Jewish Church. 'From the vine of Sodom comes their vine, and from the fields of Gomorrah' stands for the fact that the understanding part is occupied by falsities that are the product of hellish love. 'Its grapes are grapes of poison, they have clusters of bitterness' stands for the fact that the will part is in the same predicament; for as 'the grape' in the good sense means charity, it is therefore used in reference to the will part, though to the will present within the understanding part. The same is true in the contrary sense, for all truth belongs essentially to the understanding, and all good essentially to the will.

[11] In John,

The angel said, Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the earth, for its grapes have ripened. Revelation 14:18.

'Gathering the clusters of the earth' stands for destroying all existence of charity.

[12] In Matthew,

By their fruits you will know them. Do people gather grapes from thorns, and figs from thistles? Matthew 7:16.

And in Luke,

Every tree is known by its own fruit; for people do not collect figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble-bush. Luke 6:44.

The subject here being charity towards the neighbour, it is said that they will be recognized 'by their fruits', which are the good deeds of charity. Internal good deeds of charity are meant by 'grapes', external ones by 'figs'.

[13] The law was laid down in the Jewish Church,

When you enter your companion's vineyard you shall eat grapes at your pleasure until you have had enough; 3 but you shall not put them into your vessel. Deuteronomy 23:24.

This law implies that when anyone is among others whose teachings and religion are different from his own, he is free to learn about and welcome their charitable deeds, but he is not free to adopt the same charitable practices and link them into his own truths. 'A vineyard', meaning the Church, describes a place where teaching or religion exists; 'grapes' means the good deeds of charity, 'vessel' the truth that the Church possesses.

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1. literally, on a horn of a son of oil

2. literally, the sons

3. literally, eat grapes in accordance with your soul, to your satisfaction

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.